how do you stop an ingrown toenail from coming back

Full Answer

Will an ingrown toenail go away on its own?

Ingrown nails do not usually go away without cutting the ingrown out. However, in some cases, an ingrown toenail can go away on its own if you trim a small piece out of the corner. This would be for a minor type of problem. Use a clean instrument. Then start soaking your foot twice daily with warm salt water.

How to treat an ingrown toenail at home naturally?

What to do for an ingrown toenail

1. Epsom Salt. Epsom salt, or scientifically known as magnesium sulphate, has a range of different uses. ...
2. Hydrogen Peroxide. Being a powerful disinfectant, hydrogen peroxide helps the skin around the ingrown toenail to get soft.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar. ...
4. Vicks VapoRub. ...
5. White Flower Oil. ...
6. Tea Tree Essential Oil/ Lavender Essential Oil. ...
7. Oregano Essential Oil. ...

More items...

What is the best remedy for an ingrown toenail?

Your doctor might also suggest:

• Antibiotics. You might need to take antibiotics in the form of a pill or as an ointment to put on your toe.
• More comfortable shoes. If your shoes put too much pressure on your toes, you could get an ingrown toenail. ...
• A toe brace. This is a plastic or metal brace that goes over your toenail to relieve pain and pressure.

How to fix ingrown toenails quickly and easily?

• Soak your feet in warm water to soften the nail.
• Cut the nail straight across with a pair of nail clippers, making square corners, just at the edge of the toe.
• Lightly file the edge of the nail with an emery board to smooth it out.
• Lightly file the corners with the rough end of an ingrown nail file if they are too sharp.

How can I permanently fix an ingrown toenail?

An ingrown toenail can be permanently corrected with a procedure called a chemical matrixectomy. This procedure involves removing either a portion of the nail that is ingrown or the entire toenail in certain cases.

Why does my ingrown toenail keep coming back?

The same issues that cause an initial ingrown toenail also cause the condition to recur including incorrectly fitting footwear and incorrect toenail trimming technique. The size and shape of your toenail can also contribute to recurring ingrown nails.

How do I make sure my ingrown toenail doesn't come back?

Preventing ingrown toenailsAvoid cutting nails too short and cutting unevenly at the corners. Cut straight across.Make sure your socks and shoes fit properly. You should be able to wiggle your toes easily in your shoes.Avoid trauma to the toe area.

Will an ingrown toenail ever go away?

Minor ingrown toenails can heal on their own as the nail grows out. However, severe or infected ingrown nails require professional medical care. It's important to learn the signs of an ingrown nail infection so you know when it's time to go to the doctor.

Who do I keep getting ingrown toenails?

If you consistently get ingrown toenails, you may be prone to them based on their shape. Even if you trim your toenails correctly and wear good shoes, curved nails may keep finding the surrounding flesh time and again.

How do you dig out an ingrown toenail?

Use a pair of tweezers to gently push a tiny piece of cotton or gauze into the corner of your toenail where it's ingrown. This helps to make a space between the nail and the skin. Cut the visible nail corner or the ingrown spur away to help relieve the pressure and pain.

How fast can an ingrown toenail come back?

Ingrown toenail surgery is generally safe and effective. If you have a partial toenail removal, your nail may grow back in approximately three to four months. If you had your toenail totally removed, regrowth can take up to a year.

Can you fix an ingrown toenail without cutting it?

Rubbing essential oils on the ingrown toenail is an effective way to soften and soothe the skin, minimize the pain, and hopefully draw the toenail out of the skin. Use dental floss under an ingrown toenail to help shift the nail into the correct growth direction.

How long is too long for an ingrown toenail?

If the toenail becomes infected or isn't better after three to five days of conservative care, you should see a podiatrist or other foot care specialist or a dermatologist. You may need to take oral antibiotics for an infection, and the clinician may need to remove the ingrown part of the nail.

Does Vaseline help ingrown toenails?

Soak your toe in warm water for 15 minutes 2 to 3 times each day. Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, 2 times each day on the toe where the nail was removed. Wear a bandage on your toe. Wear loose-fitting shoes that don't press on the toe where the nail was removed.

Should I pop ingrown toenail?

Ingrown toenails can quickly turn into infections, which often manifest as red and swollen areas of skin. You may also notice pus under the skin, but it's important to not pop the area.

Ingrown Toenail Prevention at Home

If your ingrown toenails are primarily caused by external pressures acting upon the toenail, then you may be able to stop them from occurring by modifying those conditions.

Permanent Correction and Prevention of Ingrown Toenails

In some cases, even diligent home care will not prevent you from getting an ingrown toenail. Quite often this is because the shape of your toenails makes them prone to becoming ingrown.

Get Rid of Your Ingrown Toenails for Good

Nobody should have to live with and suffer from recurring ingrown toenails. If at-home preventative care fails to resolve the problem, our surgical solution is quick, convenient, and long-lasting.

How to treat ingrown toenails?

If you need our help treating an ingrown toenail, you can expect the following when you visit our office: 1 Assessment: We will look at your toe and confirm it is in fact an ingrown toenail and will also consider your history of the condition. If you have a history of recurrence or your nail is infected, we will likely recommend a common office procedure called a matrixectomy. 2 Perform a Matrixectomy: We will numb the portion of your toe that is affected, then remove your ingrown toenail. We often will then apply the chemical phenol to the area, which will kill the cells that form nails, reducing the risk of ingrown toenail recurrence.

What is the procedure to remove an ingrown toenail?

If you have a history of recurrence or your nail is infected, we will likely recommend a common office procedure called a matrixectomy. Perform a Matrixectomy: We will numb the portion of your toe that is affected, then remove your ingrown toenail.

Why do my toes jam together?

Shoes that are too tight can force your toes to jam together. This creates the perfect environment for nails to begin growing improperly in the nail bed, resulting in an ingrown toenail.

Why is it important to address an ingrown toenail?

If you suspect you have an ingrown toenail, it’s important to address the issue quickly. This is vital to preventing an eventual infection.

How to remove a nail that is swollen?

If you don’t have these symptoms, though, you can use common home remedies. For example, soak the foot in warm water and Epsom salts. After soaking it to soften the skin, you can often remove the affected area of the nail yourself with sterilized nail-cutting tools.

Can a pedicure cause an ingrown toenail?

Be Cautious of Pedicures. Be careful of pedicures for the very reasons listed above about improper cut jobs. While the experience of a pedicure can be pleasant, a nail technician who is overly aggressive in cutting your toenail can cause an ingrown toenail issue.

Can you cut your toenails too short?

Make sure you don’t cut your toenails too short, below the white. When you do this, the skin at the sides of your nail can fold over and begin to alter the way the nail grows, leading to an ingrown toenail issue. Also, it’s important to make sure to trim your toenails straight across, not at an angle. Trimming nails at a diagonal angle can change ...

How to prevent ingrown toenails?

Protect your feet. Stubbing your toe, dropping heavy objects on your feet, or other injuries can frequently lead to development of ingrown toenails. Always wear protective, closed-toed shoes at times when toes might be more susceptible to injury.

Can you crowd your toenails?

Don’t crowd your toenails. Tight, restrictive shoes (think about those pointy heels!) press downward and sideways on toes and nails. This can cause nails to dig into surrounding toe flesh rather than growing out naturally.

Can ingrown toenails come back?

If ingrown toenails keep coming back again and again, however, it’s clear that something must be done. You may need to look at making a few changes to your habits, or if necessary we may need to provide a more permanent solution through a minor surgery. Read on for strategies you can employ to prevent ingrown toenails from coming back:

How to get rid of ingrown toenails?

If your ingrown toenail doesn’t show any of the signs of infection — swelling, hot to the touch, oozing, foul odor — you might just try le tting the nail grow out. Soak it and wait. Dr. Stock suggests soaks in warm water with Epsom salt or a mild detergent, ...

What is the procedure for ingrown nails?

For frequent ingrown nails, your doctor may suggest a common office procedure called the phenol and alcohol matrixectomy.

Why does my toenail hurt?

As the nail continues to dig into the skin, it irritates it, causing pain. “If an ingrown toenail causes a break in the skin, bacteria can enter and cause an infection, which will make it even more painful. A red, swollen, hot and very painful ingrown toenail is probably infected,” says podiatrist Georgeanne Botek, DPM.

What is the tendency to have ingrown toenails?

Heredity. Many people inherit the tendency to develop ingrown toenails from one or both parents.

How to treat a swollen ear?

Soak it and wait. Dr. Stock suggests soaks in warm water with Epsom salt or a mild detergent, then applying an antibiotic ointment and bandage to the area.

How to get rid of toes in soccer?

Cut straight across. Make sure your socks and shoes fit properly. You should be able to wiggle your toes easily in your shoes. Avoid trauma to the toe area. If you run, play soccer or participate in other sports where your toes get a lot of action, try to go barefoot for an hour or two afterward.

Can you treat an ingrown toenail at home?

Some treatments can be done at home. An ingrown toenail, with the side edge of your nail growing into the skin, can make you painfully aware of a toe you don’t normally notice. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission.

How can I prevent ingrown toenails?

You should take care when trimming your toenails to cut them straight across and not let the ends curve down to create a rounded edge. And you should always seek professional treatment if you experience foot pain or symptoms of an ingrown toenail. Ingrown nails are always more easily treated when they are caught early, whether it is your first or your fifth time.

What is the best treatment to keep ingrown toenails from redeveloping?

For patients who suffer from frequent in-grown toenails, the podiatrist may suggest cauterizing your nail to prevent it from growing out from the edges and into the flesh. If this treatment is effective, your nails will grow out normally, but the width will be controlled, preventing the nail from curving into the flesh.

What is an ingrown toenail?

An ingrown toenail occurs when the toenail grows in a downward curve into the fleshy part of the toe. They are most common on the big toe, although they can develop on any of your toes. When the toenail grows into the flesh it can cause infection and inflammation resulting in quite a bit of pain which can lead to temporary mobility issues.

Why do shoes cause ingrown toenails?

Pointed-toe shaped shoes and high heels are the worst culprits for putting too much pressure on the toes. When your shoes compress your toes, this can push your nail to grow into the nailbed, leading to ingrown toenails.

Why do my toenails recur?

The same issues that cause an initial ingrown toenail also cause the condition to recur including incorrectly fitting footwear and incorrect toenail trimming technique. The size and shape of your toenail can also contribute to recurring ingrown nails.

Why do my toenails grow in the nail bed?

Trauma, including repeated pressure from activities like running, can also cause toenails to grow into the nail bed.

How to get rid of toenail that has grown into flesh?

He may prescribe a topical cream or ointment as well as antibiotics to fight off any infection that may be present.